Monster Island
Monster Island '(モンスター島, lit. ''Monsutā shima) is a stop motion web series created by Max Carroll. Inspired by Goji73's popular ''Godzilla and his Amazing Friends'' series and the Godzilla Island television show, and based heavily on the later Shōwa Godzilla films, the series follows Godzilla and his kaiju co-stars, such as Anguirus, Mothra, Rodan, Baragon, King Caesar, and Jet Jaguar as they cause all kinds of shenanigans and protect their home of Monster Island, under the control of the U.N.S.C., and the world from alien invaders and other types of evil monsters. Originally planned as an interquel to the films Terror of MechaGodzilla and Destroy All Monsters, the series was cancelled during writing and development, only to be revived several years later in a new direction. The series follows relatively the same synopsis and plot as the original concept, the only difference being that it's not set in any particular continuity other than being connected with the original 1954 Godzilla film. Synopsis On Monster Island, a large island located relatively close to the Ogasawara Chain near Japan, the monsters Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, Anguirus, Baragon, Varan, Manda, and King Caesar, along with their robot ally Jet Jaguar, live under the watch of the United Nations Science Committee (U.N.S.C.), causing shenanigans and interacting with one another. However, in times of hostility, the monsters band together in order to battle extraterrestrial threats, such as the likes of King Ghidorah and Gigan, and other evil monsters, such as Titanosaurus and Megalon, and protect their home and the Earth. Characters Protagonists * '''Godzilla: The King of the Monsters and the primary protagonist. Godzilla spends his days playing with his brethren kaiju and sleeping. While normally docile, Godzilla can become a dangerous threat when angered. Godzilla is extremely protective of his friends and his home of the Earth. He does not particularly like humans but will tolerate them, even going as far as to befriend their robot guard station Jet Jaguar. It should also be noted that this Godzilla is the second of his kind, following his predecessor from 1954. Godzilla's design is based on the 1962 suit from King Kong vs. Godzilla. ** Minya/Godzilla III: Godzilla's son who hatched from an egg found on Monster Island. Godzilla breaks open the egg, only to find the tiny monster inside, and protects it from a flock of Kamacuras. Godzilla ultimately begins to train Minya on how to be the King of the Monsters, and the baby later becomes the new Godzilla after his father's death at the hands of MechaGodzilla. Minya's design is based on the 1967 suit from Son of Godzilla and his form as the third Godzilla is based on the 1974 suit from Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla. * Anguirus: Godzilla's best friend and one of the secondary protagonists. Anguirus is considered to be the underdog of the kaiju, but is Godzilla's most trusted ally on Monster Island. Docile at most times, Anguirus is no pushover in a fight, as he will fight for his life if need be. Along with King Caesar and Mothra, Anguirus is also said to be the most noble of the kaiju, willing to do whatever is needed to protect his home, his friends, and the planet. Anguirus' design is based on the 1968 suit from Destroy All Monsters. * Rodan: The last living pteranodon on Earth and one of the secondary protagonists. Rodan is the most reclusive of all the kaiju, preferring to remain in his cave and not interact with his fellow kaiju unless needed. Neutral at all times, Rodan is short-tempered and can be easily angered. He does not like humans period, and will attack if they approach. In spite of his short-temper, though, Rodan will fight for his survival and his friends to save his home. Rodan's design is based on the 1956 suit from Rodan. * Mothra: A goddess deity from the now-leveled Infant Island and one of the secondary protagonists. Mothra is considered to be the most docile of the kaiju living on Monster Island and is one of the friendliest towards humans. Along with Anguirus and King Caesar, Mothra is said to be the most noble of the kaiju, willing to do whatever is necessary to protect her home, her friends, and the planet. Mothra's design is based on her 2003 CGI model from Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. * Baragon: An ancient dinosaur who can burrow underground and one of the secondary protagonists. Baragon is the most reluctant and worrisome of the kaiju and often does not participate in games played by Godzilla, Anguirus, or even Mothra. A shy kaiju, Baragon, like most of the other monsters, is a fierce fighter when angry. Baragon's design is based on the 1968 suit from Destroy All Monsters. * Varan: A flying, territorial monster who takes refuge in a small mountain near the Monster Island desert, Varan does not interact much with the other monsters, being more territorial than most of them. However, he does have a sense of honor and will fight alongside Godzilla to protect his home when threatened. Varan's closest friend is Baragon, with whom he finds a kindred spirit. Varan's design is based on the 1958 suit from Varan the Unbelievable. * Manda: A serpent-based monster resting in the oceans surrounding the island. Manda is one of the wisest monsters living on the island, preferring to keep to herself and avoid conflict as opposed to actively engage in fights. Nonetheless, she is a tenacious fighter and will aggressively defend her home to the death. She often quarrels with Ebirah. Manda's design is based on the 1968 design from Destroy All Monsters. * King Caesar: An ancient, lion-like kaiju and the royal guard of the Azumi family and one of the secondary protagonists. King Caesar is a highly focused kaiju and is seemingly always meditating. His fighting skills make him a formidable opponent in battle. Like Anguirus and Mothra, King Caesar is considered to be the most noble of the kaiju, willing to do whatever is necessary to protect his home, his friends, and the planet. King Caesar's design is mainly based on the 1974 suit from Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, with some elements from the 2004 suit from Godzilla: Final Wars. * Jet Jaguar: A robot which can change size at will and one of the secondary protagonists. Jet Jaguar is considered as the "security guard" for the island, making sure that the kaiju don't escape or fight with one another. A close friend of Godzilla's, Jet goes from being an emotionless robot to a "metal human" which can interact with the kaiju. Jet Jaguar's design is based on the 1973 suit from Godzilla vs. Megalon. Antagonists * King Ghidorah: A three-headed dragon from outer space and the primary antagonist. King Ghidorah is an immortal alien dragon of unknown origin hell bent on the conquest of Earth and the defeat of Godzilla, whom the dragon sees as his mortal enemy. He is so powerful that, even when faced with multiple opponents at once, Ghidorah is seemingly invincible. King Ghidorah's design is based on the 1964 suit from Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. * Gigan: A cybernetically-enhanced, extraterrestrial space dinosaur and one of the secondary antagonists. Gigan is a "kaiju assassin" of sorts. He was originally sent to Earth by an unknown alien race to kill Godzilla, only to be defeated and sent packing. Now, Gigan returns, along with King Ghidorah, in order to get revenge on Godzilla and help take over the Earth. Gigan's design is based on the 1973 suit from Godzilla vs. Megalon. * Megalon: An unintelligent, beetle-monster who is frequently dispatched to the surface of Earth to try and subjugate it. Megalon is worshiped as a god by a race of people who live below the Earth's surface. In spite of his sheer lack of intelligence, Megalon is one of the most physically powerful kaiju, being able to fight Godzilla to a stand still if given the right motivation. He is frequently paired with Gigan. Megalon's design is based on the 1973 suit from Godzilla vs. Megalon. * Hedorah: An extraterrestrial "smog monster" who originated from an unknown planet in the middle of the Andromeda Galaxy and one of the secondary antagonists. Hedorah originally came to Earth in order to feed off of the excess pollution coming from Japan, but was repelled by the combined efforts of Godzilla, Mothra, and Jet Jaguar. Hedorah is the most toxic of the monsters due to his flesh being highly corrosive, enough to burn the tough hide of Godzilla himself. Hedorah's design is based on the 1971 suit from Godzilla vs. Hedorah. * MechaGodzilla: A powerful, cybernetic doppelganger of Godzilla created by an evil alien army and one of the secondary antagonists. MechaGodzilla was sent to Earth to impersonate the real Godzilla, only to be exposed by Baragon and Rodan and finally defeated by Godzilla. MechaGodzilla is armed with a vast array of specialized weapons, including missiles and lasers. MechaGodzilla's design is based on the 1974 suit from Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla. * Gabara: A bully monster who lives on Monster Island and originally inhabited the cave now slept in by Rodan and one of the tertiary antagonists. Gabara bears a strong dislike for all the monsters who live on the island due to him being originally the only one there in the first place, but especially hates Rodan due to the fact the the pterosaur sleeps in his former cave. Gabara is able to shock opponents by conducting electricity through his body. Gabara's design is based on the 1969 suit from All Monsters Attack. * Ebirah: A lobster-like sea monster and one of the tertiary antagonists. Ebirah was found and taken to Monster Island by the U.N.S.C. after it was found swimming to Tokyo. Ebirah is a relatively aggressive monster who frequently gets into fights with monsters like Baragon and Anguirus when they try and go for a swim. Ebirah's sharp claws have been shown to pierce the metal armor of Jet Jaguar at times. Ebirah's design is based on the 1966 suit from Ebirah, Horror of the Deep. * Kamacuras: A gigantic praying mantis who resides on Monster Island and one of the tertiary antagonists. Like Ebirah, Kamacuras mildly aggressive, fighting other monsters who cross his path. However, unlike Ebirah, Kamacuras actually goes looking to pick fights with the other monsters, often with devastating results. Kamacuras is able to fly for short time. Kamacuras' design is based on the 1967 puppet from Son of Godzilla. * Kumonga: A giant spider kaiju and one of the tertiary antagonists. Kumonga resides in a large, dried up ravine on a distant part of the island. While normally laid back, not bothering anything else, Kumonga, like a trapdoor spider, will sense if it's prey is walking nearby, and will emerge from the ground in order to attack it's meal. It's web is strong enough to restrain that of Godzilla and is a frequent enemy of Mothra. Kumonga's design is based on the 1967 puppet from Son of Godzilla. * SpaceGodzilla: The central antagonist of Seasons 3 and 4, as well as the tertiary antagonist of Season 5, SpaceGodzilla is an extraterrestrial clone of Godzilla created when Godzilla's DNA attached to King Ghidorah and brought into space accidentally entered a cosmic storm, mutating the cells into SpaceGodzilla. Highly intelligent, telekinetic, able to fly, and with a limitless mass of crystals at his disposal, SpaceGodzilla quickly becomes one of Godzilla's most dangerous enemies. Due to not appearing in the Showa series, SpaceGodzilla features an original design created for the series that is loosely based on the 1968 Godzilla design from Destroy All Monsters. * Bagan: The secondary antagonist of Season 5, Bagan is a shape-shifting, god-like monster originating from China who becomes enamored with Godzilla's tenacity, and secretly plots to overthrow King Ghidorah as the Destroyer of Life along with already being the God of Darkness. Bagan is an exceptionally powerful foe, even for Godzilla, and has been shown to overpower several other monsters. Since Bagan never appeared in the Showa series, he features an original design created specifically for the series, this time being based loosely on several bits of concept art for the character's predecessor, Bakan, from both the 1980 and 1983 drafts of the unproduced film, The Resurrection of Godzilla. Episodes Season 1 * 1. Welcome to Monster Island: On Monster Island, the monsters Godzilla, Mothra, Anguirus, Rodan, Baragon, King Caesar, and their robot ally Jet Jaguar reside in peace, often playing games or tricking each other and getting into shenanigans. * 2. Gabara's Revenge: After being kicked out of his cave during a fight with Rodan, the bully monster Gabara seeks revenge on the pterosaur, with Mothra caught in the middle of their battle as she tries to play peacemaker. * 3. The Egg: Whilst wandering around on Monster Island, Godzilla stumbles upon a dry, desert-like area, sensing something unusual. The King of the Monsters then discovers an egg containing a baby Godzilla imbedded within it. However, he is followed by a group of Kamacuras, who seek to devour the baby, forcing Godzilla to protect this new member of his species. * 4. Showing the Ropes: Godzilla, along with Anguirus and King Caesar, attempts to show his son, Minya, the ropes of being King of the Monsters, including how to breathe atomic breath and how to fight. * 5. Far-Off Visitor: Godzilla and his friends are beset by an extraterrestrial monster Gigan, who disguises his true intent by becoming one of Godzilla's allies and taking up residence on the island. * 6. Avalanche: Varan and Anguirus are roaming across the tundra of Monster Island, but are soon buried in an avalanche caused by Gigan. With Jet Jaguar searching for the 2 monsters in order to save them, Varan and Anguirus spend time bonding with one another. * 7. Revelation: Gigan's intent is finally exposed following his attempt to assassinate Manda. This ends up leading to a fight between Godzilla, Rodan, Anguirus, and Mothra against the extraterrestrial cyborg at the base of the Monster Island volcano. * 8. Caught in the Web: Minya goes wandering across the island, only to come across the giant spider Kumonga, who attempts to make a meal out of the young monster, prompting Godzilla, Anguirus, and Rodan to come to Minya's aid. * 9. : * 10. Invasion, Part 1: An alien invasion has begun in earnest. A collective of aliens, known as the Vortaak, make themselves known to Earth and attempt to decimate their monsters with their own champions; the mighty King Ghidorah, the toxic Hedorah, and a returning Gigan. * 11. Invasion, Part 2: As Hedorah is knocked out of the battle, the Seatopian beetle monster Megalon takes his place. However, as Earth's monsters overwhelm Gigan and Megalon and finally begin to defeat King Ghidorah, the Vortaak unleash their ultimate weapon; MechaGodzilla. * 12. Invasion, Part 3: Trivia * The series is primarily inspired by the 1997 TV show Godzilla Island, the 2010 fan series Monster Island Buddies, and the 2012 fan series Godzilla and his Amazing Friends. * The series is heavily styled after the mid-to-late Showa Godzilla films. Elements such as creature designs, props, and action scenes are inspired by the Showa series. * Godzilla being killed by MechaGodzilla, only for his energy to go into his son, at the end of the first Season is based on both the scrapped ending to 1993's Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II, the first fight between Godzilla and MechaGodzilla in the original Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, and the final battle from the 13th episode of Godzilla and his Amazing Friends, incorporating elements from all 3. ** Upon being killed by MechaGodzilla, the residual radioactivity and essence from Godzilla's body go into Minya's body, transforming him into the new Godzilla. In the proposed ending for Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II, this happened to Baby Godzilla, allowing him to destroy MechaGodzilla. ** MechaGodzilla escapes, just like he does after his first fight with Godzilla in the original Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, however his escape is more akin to Geronimon's escape in GahAF's 13th episode. ** Godzilla's death is identical to Gomora's death in GahAF's 13th episode, with the only difference being that while Gomora was impaled by Geronimon's feathers, Godzilla, having sustained heavy damage beforehand, is impaled by MechaGodzilla's finger missiles. ** The fact that, like with GahAF, this happens at the end of the first Season of the show. * SpaceGodzilla and Bagan are the only monsters in the entire show who didn't appear in the Showa series. ** Bagan is portrayed as being similar to the D.C. comics villain, Darkseid, as he is immensely, physically powerful (evident when he knocked Godzilla aside during their first encounter with one blow.) and engages in psychological torment.